Student Exchange Stories
Over the course of the project (part I and part II), we have had several student exchanges. Below you can read some of the students experiences.
"I have been fortunate enough to visit the nuclear physics department at UiO under INTPART student exchange program. During the two months in Oslo, I have gained knowledge and advanced in the analysis of my Ph.D. data sets on samarium isotopes samarium-154 and samarium-155. Also, as part of the trip, we are now performing new experiment and collecting more data at Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory on samarium isotopes 152 and 154 for myself and my collaborator Kristine Sønstevold Beckmann (Ph.D. fellow at UiO). During the free times, I have experienced Oslo, the neighboring areas and I have enjoyed the scenery, the culture, and the people. Thanks to my UiO supervisor Prof. Sunniva Siem and iThemba LABS for making the trip possible." — Kgashane
"Hello! My name is Dorthea Gjestvang, and I'm a master student from the University of Oslo. My thesis is about the prompt-fission gammas (PFG) from Pu241, which are the photons that are emitted immediately after a nucleus has fissioned. I have also simulated the PFG's using the fission modeling code FREYA. Through INTPART I was able to visit the developers of FREYA in Berkeley and learn directly from them. This was super useful, as I got a much better grasp of the theory behind FREYA. The picture above shows me on the first day of my master experiment, together with the experimental detector array OSCAR at OCL." — Dorthea
"I am a graduate student in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley. I obtained my high school diploma and AS from the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing and his BS from UC Berkeley. I am advised by Dr. Lee Bernstein at LBNL where I intend to perform thesis research on nuclear physics and data-related topics. I also work with Dr. Bethany Goldblum on the development and application of the Fission Induced Electromagnetic Response (FIER) code, a package for the analytical modeling of delayed gamma-ray and neutrino spectra. Though the INTPART grant, I attended the 6th Workshop on Nuclear Level Densities and Gamma Strengths, the 14th Nordic Meeting on Nuclear Physics, and will be spending the Fall 2018 semester at UiO studying nuclear structure and radiochemistry." — Eric
"In August 2020, I arrived at the University of Oslo to perform research with the nuclear physics group. During my time at the university, I collaborated with Dorthea Gjestvang on experimental properties of fissioning nuclei. Our Ph.D. thesis topics overlap: I am measuring fission product yields and Dorthea is measuring prompt fission gamma rays. In the spring of 2021, I was able to participate in the planning and execution of Dorthea's 239Pu(p,p'f) experiment at the Oslo cyclotron. In addition to this, I was able to participate in experiments of several other students and scholars that were conducted at the cyclotron. In October 2020 and April 2021, I gave presentations on my research to the nuclear physics group. My time as an INTPART student enriched my research activities and allowed me to collaborate internationally at a time when (due to COVID-19) international exchange was difficult."- Eric
"My name is Frida and I am a master student at the Nuclear Physics department at the University of Oslo. My thesis revolves around extracting the gamma-ray strength function and nuclear level density of 68Zn from experimental measurements and hopefully learn more about how the elements heavier than iron are created in explosive astrophysical conditions. Through the INTPART grant, I was able to go to UC Berkeley for one semester. There I took interesting subjects as part of my curriculum, and I also got to be involved at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab on another exciting experiment in medical physics and the production of 225Ac for targeted alpha therapy. I greatly value the experience, both what I learned academically and from being involved in another research group, and getting to meet so many wonderful new people. " - Frida
"My name is Nora and I am a master student at the Nuclear Physics group at the University of Oslo. In my thesis, I am studying the cross-section of 64Cu and 67Cu, which are two interesting radionuclides for future medical treatment. The production of 64,67Cu forms an important therapeutic and diagnostic pair of medical isotopes, where 64Cu is good for PET imaging and 67Cu is good for therapeutic applications. Through INTPART I was able to visit Berkeley and participate in an experiment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in August of 2018. Without INTPART this would not have been possible." - Nora
"My name is Hannah and I am a master student at the nuclear physics group at UiO. Through INTPART I have been able to partake in experiments at iThemba LABS in South Africa and go on an exchange semester to UC Berkeley. My thesis is based on the experiment from iThemba LABS, where I look at the statistical properties of 133Xe. The thesis research has given me the opportunity to work with researchers from institutions in South Africa and the US. Additionally, the semester at UC Berkeley was a great way to explore interesting classes outside of nuclear physics. The Bay Area is a great place to live and it was so fun to explore San Francisco. At the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, I could participate in the ongoing experiment for producing alpha source 225Ac for targeted cancer therapy, along with getting to know the researchers in the group. With this, I have met many awesome people from all over the world and I am sure I will meet them in the future as a researcher." - Hannah
"I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. I received my Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering from UC Berkeley. I am advised by Professor Jasmina Vujic at UC Berkeley and Dr. Darren Bleuel at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where I conduct research in neutron-induced reactions and nuclear structure. My thesis, constraining the statistical properties of 93Sr, involves an international collaboration between UC Berkeley, University of Michigan and the University of Oslo! Through the INTPART grant, I have attended the Oslo 2018 and 2019 summer schools, and the 7th Workshop on Nuclear Level Densities and Gamma Strengths. In addition, the INTPART grant made it possible for me to spend three academic months in Oslo working with experts from around the world developing my thesis. I found the academic environment at the University of Oslo extremely diverse in the range of scientific interests and specialized skill sets, as well as a very supportive environment that encourages academic growth! This would not have been possible without the support of the INTPART grant!" - Adriana